Dickinson, Texas ISD Implements New Kids Education for Number Sense Math Program for All PreK, Kindergarten and 1st Grade Students

Share Article

Teachers to Receive Training in Number Sense Education on Aug. 13 to Prepare for 2014 Math TEKS

A teacher and her students practice subitizing and number combinations with the KENS Math flash cards

We are taking an early, proactive approach to prepare for the new math TEKS guidelines that will require students to focus more on number sense, constructing and deconstructing numbers. We chose KENS Math because it offers a very comprehensive approach.

SAN DIEGO, CA (PRWEB)August 02, 2012

Dickinson, Texas ISD will implement a new supplementary math program this fall for all pre-K, kindergarten and first grade students that teaches students the most essential skill of early mathematics – number sense. The new program, called Kids’ Education for Number Sense (KENS Math), will be introduced to help prepare teachers and students for the more rigorous goals of the new math TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills) scheduled to roll out in 2014. Teachers from the district will attend a workshop on Mon., Aug. 13 to receive training in number sense education.

“We are taking an early and proactive approach to prepare for the new math TEKS guidelines that will require students to focus more on number sense and constructing and deconstructing numbers,” said Rhonda Parmer, Assistant Superintendent, Dickinson ISD in Dickinson, Texas. “We chose Kids’ Education for Number Sense as a supplementary curriculum because it offers a very comprehensive approach to number sense education.”

The Kids’ Education for Number Sense methodology focuses on the development of three essential number sense skills:
1) Subitizing– the ability to see a set of objects instantly without counting. Subitizing skills allow students to process math equations quicker and avoid mistakes common to counting.

3) Recognizing number magnitude using number lines – an understanding of number lines helps children estimate and develop an effective memory for numbers.

As children practice these skills, they are training their brains to quickly identify sets of numbers, know how numbers relate to each other and solve traditional mathematical equations. Mastery of number sense skills are essential to the development of basic math skills including addition and subtraction. Proficiency in number sense also frees children from relying on finger counting which often leads to mistakes and slows students down as they progress to more challenging math work. A vast amount of research indicates that subitizing, number line, and number magnitude skills are reliable predictors of later math achievement at all grade levels.

Dr. Ken Newbury, Ph.D., a longtime educator and the author of Kids’ Education for Number Sense program, will lead the training workshop for Dickinson teachers on Aug. 13. “I developed the Kids’ Education for Number Sense program on the latest classroom and brain research. I tested it in the classroom where I watched students embrace number sense learning with enthusiasm. After introducing the program to kindergarten students and teachers in different schools, I saw significant improvements in their number sense skills and their future math abilities.”

The Dickinson school district has purchased 30 Kids’ Education for Number Sense classroom kits to implement across 36 classrooms this fall. The kit includes an exciting and rewarding collection of manipulatives, games and leveled activities that give educators the tools and the inspiration to teach number sense. Rather than just relying only on verbal memory to recall math facts, the KENS Math methodology engages the brain through “Go, Show & Tell” exercises that build number sense in a fun, interactive way.

Go – Students use visual memory to teach the brain to subitize or quickly identify number sets, a skill that has a direct correlation to later math success.

Show – Students engage in hands-on activities that teach an understanding of number combinations and number magnitude.

About Young People’s Press
Young People’s Press is devoted to the education and personal development of children in preschool through eighth grade. Through the development of high-quality educational materials and books, Young People’s Press has been serving the education market for nearly 20 years. The company’s educational materials are aligned with how students learn and interact with each other, and are based on academic, classroom and behavioral research.

The company offers educational materials and lesson plans for the language arts and most recently introduced Kids’ Education for Number Sense (KENS Math). KENS Math is an exciting and rewarding program that helps early learners develop a deeply rooted number sense, a key indicator of future math success, and gives educators the tools and the inspiration to teach it. Young People’s Press also offers a wide collection of books that teach positive character development through enriching stories and beautiful art work that represent a dynamic multiculturalism. Themes focus on responsibility, respect, courtesy and many other character attributes that help children establish a rich foundation for social and emotional development. More information about Young People’s Press and its products is available at http://www.youngpeoplespress.com